By Canadian Press

No evidence FBI, RCMP directed border guards’ examination of Meng Wanzhou: Crown

Oct 2, 2019 | 12:25 PM

VANCOUVER — A Crown prosecutor says there’s no evidence to support a “conspiracy” theory that United States officials directed Canadian border guards to interrogate Huawei Technologies executive Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver’s airport.

Defence lawyers argue that the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency conspired to obtain information from Meng during an admissibility exam in order to advance a criminal case against her in the U.S.

The U.S. is seeking her extradition on fraud charges linked to the alleged violation of sanctions against Iran and she was arrested while passing through the Vancouver International Airport on Dec. 1, 2018.

Canadian border guards questioned her about Huawei’s business in Iran and seized her electronic devices before the RCMP executed a provisional arrest warrant, but the Crown says the CBSA must assess all travellers entering Canada.

John Gibb-Carsley, representing the Attorney General of Canada, told a British Columbia Supreme Court judge today that there’s no evidence the FBI or RCMP ordered border guards to conduct the exam or provided questions to them.

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Meng, whose arrest sparked a diplomatic crisis between Canada and China, denies wrongdoing and her lawyers are in court seeking further documents ahead of her extradition trial in January.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2019.

The Canadian Press